Support structure for wireless charging pad

ABSTRACT

An electrified vehicle includes a frame with first and second longitudinal members and first and second transverse members, and a front subframe located forwardly of the frame. A wireless charging pad is located rearwardly of the front subframe between the longitudinal and transverse members of the frame. A support structure for preventing damage to the wireless charging pad includes first and second structural support members extending along opposite sides of the wireless charging pad, and a transverse structural support member extending between the first and second structural support members.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 15/786,674, filed Oct. 18, 2017, which issued as U.S. Pat. No.10,518,659 on Dec. 31, 2019 and is incorporated by reference herein inits entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The embodiments described herein relate to the field of supportstructures, and more specifically to a support structure for a wirelesscharging pad.

BACKGROUND

Wireless charging will be increasingly used with electrified vehiclepowertrains, including electric-gasoline hybrids and electric vehicles,to charge the high voltage batteries of the electrified vehicles withoutplugging them into an outlet or charging station with a cord. A primarywireless charging pad on the ground under the electrified vehicle emitselectromagnetic waves that are received by a secondary pad mounted onthe underside of the electrified vehicle. The secondary pad converts theelectromagnetic energy into current, which in turn is used to charge thehigh voltage battery. The wireless charging technology is expected tomeet the wireless charging standard and recommended practices publishedby the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) International as SAE J2954,which establishes an industry-wide specification guideline that definesacceptable criteria for interoperability, electromagnetic compatibility,minimum performance, safety and testing for wireless charging of lightduty electric and plug-in electric vehicles.

There is a need to mount a wireless pad on an underside of theelectrified vehicle. If the wireless pad is positioned behind the frontsubframe, it could be damaged if a vehicle drives off a high curb andscrapes the undercarriage. Therefore, there is further established aneed to protect the wireless pad mounted behind the front subframe ofthe electrified vehicle.

APPLICATION SUMMARY

According to one aspect, an electrified vehicle includes a frame thatfurther includes a first longitudinal frame member extendinglongitudinally along a first side of the electrified vehicle, a secondlongitudinal frame member extending longitudinally along a second sideof the electrified vehicle parallel to the first longitudinal member, afirst transverse frame member extending between the first longitudinalframe member and the second longitudinal frame member, and a secondtransverse frame member extending between the first longitudinal framemember and the second longitudinal frame member. A front subframe memberextends longitudinally forward from the first longitudinal frame memberand the second longitudinal frame member. A wireless charging pad islocated longitudinally rearward of the front subframe and between thefirst and second longitudinal frame members and between the first andsecond transverse frame members. A support structure for protecting thewireless charging pad includes a first structural support memberextending longitudinally along a first side of the wireless chargingpad, a second structural support member extending longitudinally along asecond side of the wireless charging pad, and a transverse structuralsupport member, extending between the first structural support memberand the second structural support member.

According to another aspect, a charging system for an electrified motorvehicle, the motor vehicle having including a frame having a firstlongitudinal frame member extending longitudinally along a first side ofthe electrified vehicle, a second longitudinal frame member extendinglongitudinally along a second side of the electrified vehicle parallelto the first longitudinal member, a first transverse frame memberextending between the first longitudinal frame member and the secondlongitudinal frame member, and a second transverse frame memberextending between the first longitudinal frame member and the secondlongitudinal frame member, and a front subframe member extendinglongitudinally forward from the first longitudinal frame member and thesecond longitudinal frame member, includes a wireless charging padlocated longitudinally rearward of the front subframe and between thefirst and second longitudinal frame members and between the first andsecond transverse frame members and a support structure for protectingthe wireless charging pad. The support structure includes a firststructural support member extending longitudinally along a first side ofthe wireless charging pad, a second structural support member extendinglongitudinally along a second side of the wireless charging pad, and atransverse structural support member, extending between the firststructural support member and the second structural support member.

According to yet another aspect, a support structure for protecting awireless charging pad for an electrified vehicle, the wireless chargingpad located beneath the frame of the electrified vehicle, includes afirst structural support member extending longitudinally along a firstside of the wireless charging pad, a second structural support memberextending longitudinally along a second side of the wireless chargingpad, and a transverse structural support member, extending between thefirst structural support member and the second structural supportmember.

The features and advantages described in the specification are not allinclusive and, in particular, many additional features and advantageswill be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in view of thedrawings, specification, and claims. Moreover, it should be noted thatthe language used in the specification has been principally selected forreadability and instructional purposes, and may not have been selectedto delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is bottom view of a frame of an electrified vehicle.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a portion of the frame of the electrifiedvehicle viewed from line A-A of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of a portion of the frame of the electrifiedvehicle viewed from line B-B of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a side view of an electrified vehicle traversing over a curb.

FIG. 5 is the side view of the portion of the frame of the electrifiedvehicle viewed from line A-A of FIG. 1 as the electrified vehicletraverses the curb as illustrated in FIG. 4.

The FIGS. depict various embodiments for purposes of illustration only.One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the followingdiscussion that alternative embodiments of the structures and methodsillustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principlesof the embodiments described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a view of a portion of the bottom of an electrified vehicle10. The electrified vehicle 10 may include a frame 12 that includes afirst longitudinal frame member 14 extending generally longitudinallyalong a first side 16 of the electrified vehicle 10 and a secondlongitudinal frame member 18 extending generally longitudinally along asecond side 20 of the electrified vehicle 10. A first transverse framemember 22 extends between the first longitudinal frame member 14 and thesecond longitudinal frame member 18. A second transverse frame member 24extends between the first longitudinal frame member 14 and the secondlongitudinal frame member 18.

Located longitudinally forward of the frame 12 is a front subframe 26,which extends longitudinally forward from the first longitudinal framemember 14 and the second longitudinal frame member 18.

The electrified vehicle 10 also includes a wireless charging pad 28located longitudinally rearward of the front subframe 26, between thefirst and second longitudinal frame members 14, 18, and between thefirst and second transverse frame members 22, 24. The wireless chargingpad 28 is configured to be located above an induction charger (notshown) installed in the floor of a parking location of the electrifiedvehicle 10, which may typically be a garage. The induction charger onthe ground under the electrified vehicle 10 emits electromagnetic wavesthat are received by the wireless charging pad 28 mounted under theelectrified vehicle 10. The electromagnetic waves induce an electricalcurrent in the wireless charging pad 28, which in turn is used to chargea high voltage battery (not shown) in the electrified vehicle 10 in amethod known to those skilled in the art.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, a support structure 30 is provided forpreventing damage to the wireless charging pad 28. The support structure30 may include a first structural support member 32 extendinglongitudinally along a first side 34 of the wireless charging pad 28, asecond structural support member 36 extending longitudinally along asecond side 38 of the wireless charging pad 28, and a transversestructural support member 40, extending between the first structuralsupport member 32 and the second structural support member 36. Thesupport members 32, 36, 40 may consist of tubes or pipes, constructed ofstainless steel or any other suitably rigid material, and connectedtogether by any suitable method, such as by welding, nuts and bolts orany other suitable fasteners, or the support members 32, 36, 40 may beintegrally formed, to form the support structure 30. The supportstructure 30 may further be connected to the frame 12 by any suitablemethod, such as by welding, nuts and bolts or any other suitablefasteners.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the transverse structuralsupport member 40 extends between the first structural support member 32and the second structural support member 36 longitudinally forward ofthe wireless charging pad 28.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the first structural support member 32 ispositioned vertically lower than the wireless charging pad 28 in orderto protect the wireless charging pad 28. More specifically, the firststructural support member 32 has a first clearance c₁ above a flatsurface 42, such as the road or a driveway, on which the electrifiedvehicle 10 sits. The wireless charging pad 28 has a pad clearance c_(p)above the flat surface 42, and the first clearance c₁ is less than thepad clearance c_(p). Therefore, as the electrified vehicle 10 drivesover a curb 44, or any other obstruction, as illustrated in FIGS. 4-5,the edge 45 of the curb 44 engages the first structural support member32, which has a lower first clearance c₁ over the edge 45 of the curb 44than the pad clearance c_(p) of the wireless charging pad 28, therebypreventing damage to the wireless charging pad 28 as the electrifiedvehicle 10 moves over the curb 44.

Additionally, the second structural support member 36 has a secondclearance c₂ above the flat surface 42 on which the electrified vehicle10 sits, and the second clearance c₂ is also less than the pad clearancec_(p) of the wireless charging pad 28. In one embodiment, the firstclearance c₁ is equal or substantially equal to the second clearance c₂,although equality is not a requirement for operation of the supportstructure 30.

Further, the transverse structural support member 40 has a thirdclearance c₃ above the flat surface 42 on which the electrified vehicle10 sits, and the third clearance c₃ is less than the pad clearance c_(p)of the wireless charging pad 28. In one embodiment, the third clearancec₃ is equal or substantially equal to the first clearance c₁ and to thesecond clearance c₂, although equality is not a requirement foroperation of the support structure 30.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1-2 the wireless charging pad 28 may be attachedto the first structural support member 32, either permanently bywelding, or, as illustrated in FIG. 2, removable with nuts 46 and bolts48, or by any other suitable fasteners.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, which illustrates a typical arrangement of thesupport structure 30, first structural support member 32 is attached toa first end 50 of the transverse structural member 40 and the secondstructural support member 36 is attached to a second end 52 of thetransverse structural member 40.

As additionally illustrated in FIG. 1, the first structural supportmember 32, may be extended rearwardly along the first longitudinal framemember 14 to protect the batteries (not shown). Alternatively, the firststructural support member 32 may be separated into multiple sections foreasier construction and assembly. Also, even though not shown in FIG. 1,in an alternate embodiment, the second structural support member 36 mayalso or seperately be extended rearward along the second longitudinalframe member 18.

FIGS. 1-2 additionally illustrate terminals 54 on the side of thewireless charging pad. The terminals 54 may be the connection point forwires (not shown) connecting the wireless charging pad 28 to thebatteries (not shown).

Reference in the specification to “one embodiment” or to “an embodiment”means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic describedin connection with the embodiments is included in at least oneembodiment. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” or “anembodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarilyall referring to the same embodiment.

In addition, the language used in the specification has been principallyselected for readability and instructional purposes, and may not havebeen selected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter.Accordingly, the disclosure of the embodiments is intended to beillustrative, but not limiting, of the scope of the embodiments, whichis set forth in the claims.

While particular embodiments and applications have been illustrated anddescribed herein, it is to be understood that the embodiments are notlimited to the precise construction and components disclosed herein andthat various modifications, changes, and variations may be made in thearrangement, operation, and details of the methods and apparatuses ofthe embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of theembodiments as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An electrified vehicle, comprising: a frame,comprising: a first longitudinal frame member extending along a firstside of the electrified vehicle; a second longitudinal frame memberextending along a second side of the electrified vehicle; a firsttransverse frame member extending between the first longitudinal framemember and the second longitudinal frame member; a second transverseframe member extending between the first longitudinal frame member andthe second longitudinal frame member; a front subframe member extendinglongitudinally forward from the first longitudinal frame member and thesecond longitudinal frame member; and a wireless charging pad locatedlongitudinally rearward of the front subframe and between the first andsecond longitudinal frame members and between the first and secondtransverse frame members; and a support structure for protecting thewireless charging pad, comprising: a first structural support memberextending along a first side of the wireless charging pad; a secondstructural support member extending along a second side of the wirelesscharging pad; and a transverse structural support member, extendingbetween the first structural support member and the second structuralsupport member.
 2. The electrified vehicle of claim 1 wherein thetransverse structural support member extends between the firststructural support member and the second structural support memberlongitudinally forward of the wireless charging pad.
 3. The electrifiedvehicle of claim 1 wherein the first structural support member has afirst clearance above a flat surface on which the electrified vehiclesits and the wireless charging pad has a pad clearance above the flatsurface, and wherein the first clearance is less than the pad clearance.4. The electrified vehicle of claim 3 wherein the second structuralsupport member has a second clearance above the flat surface on whichthe electrified vehicle sits, and wherein the second clearance is lessthan the pad clearance.
 5. The electrified vehicle of claim 4 whereinthe wireless charging pad is attached to the first structural supportmember.
 6. The electrified vehicle of claim 5 wherein the transversestructural support member has a third clearance above the flat surfaceon which the electrified vehicle sits, and wherein the third clearanceis less than the pad clearance.
 7. The electrified vehicle of claim 5wherein the first structural support member, the second structuralsupport member, and the transverse structural support member are tubularmetallic pipes.
 8. The electrified vehicle of claim 7 wherein the firststructural support member is attached to a first end of the transversestructural member and the second structural support member is attachedto a second end of the transverse structural member.
 9. The electrifiedvehicle of claim 8 wherein the first structural support member is weldedto a first end of the transverse structural member and the secondstructural support member is welded to a second end of the transversestructural member.